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10 Impactful Updates for Your Executive-Level Resume

10 min read · Updated on April 17, 2024

Here's the perfect executive resume example for C-suite candidates.

No matter what position you're gunning for — whether it's your first job out of college or you're a seasoned professional with your sights on the C-suite — condensing your accomplishments and merits into one single document can be daunting. But if you're ready for a job change, a polished and updated resume is the one thing you can't skip.

You might even argue that an executive-level professional has it tougher than the former. You've likely held several jobs throughout your career, working your way up and maybe even getting your feet wet in completely different industries or departments. For a lucky few, you may not have even had to interview at all, landing positions and promotions through your network alone.

The point is, at your level, the people you'll be competing with for this position will come from many different paths. Your resume and your cover letter will need to impress.

Our biggest tip? Get another pair of eyes on your resume. 

You know your work history inside and out, but how does it come across on paper? With our free resume review , you'll get a confidential critique from a TopResume expert experienced with executive resume writing — including personalized recommendations and objective feedback. Often, it's a few small changes that can make the biggest impact!

To see what we mean, check out our sample resume for executive- and senior-level professionals below. Then, continue reading to learn what questions your executive resume should answer followed, by 10 of the most powerful changes you can make for your resume to grab the attention of employers.

What questions should your executive resume answer?

Unfortunately, many executive-level resumes fall short of answering the top questions recruiters and hiring managers want to know. Here are the types of questions virtually all employers have and hope to answer when reviewing your executive-level application:

Does your background and experience align with the job requirements?

What is the tangible impact you can bring to the table?

What makes you unique and different from other candidates?

Are you a good leader?

How can you add value to the company if hired?

What does your career progression look like?

Will you be a good cultural fit?

Go back and review these questions to confirm you've answered them after completing the first draft of your resume. 

10 impactful updates for your executive resume

Now, let's take a look at some of the most powerful updates you can make to your executive resume to ensure it packs a punch while also answering the above questions.

1. Showcase your credentials at the top of your resume

This is a quick and effective change for anyone, regardless of how many years you've been in the field: Move your credentials, especially the ones - like certifications and degree type or level - that match your target position, to the very top of your executive resume. This is typically the first place recruiters will look, so having them front and center ensures they won't get skipped.

2. Include a link to your online profile

Did you know that nearly 98 percent of employers do background research online when considering candidates, and  90 percent of employers search for candidates' social media profiles online before setting up an interview? Make it easy on them by providing links to your social accounts or professional websites near your other contact information. In our executive resume sample above, Jake includes a custom link to his LinkedIn profile .

It's also vital that your social media profiles contain content that's on the up and up, since 79 percent of employers report rejecting a candidate based on their social media profiles. Avoid including explicit or what could be perceived as negative content and content that speaks poorly about current or past employers.

If you'd rather keep your online profiles hidden from recruiters, make sure to adjust your security settings or change your account name so they're harder to find. However, employers might be surprised or think something is off if they can't find you online, particularly on LinkedIn. 

3. List your core skills near the top, in an easy-to-read format

Noticing a theme here? Even for C-level positions, such as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, hiring managers will typically do a quick scan of your resume before getting into the details. For your executive resume to stand out immediately, make sure your core skills — also referred to as “core competencies” or “areas of expertise” — are listed in an easy-to-read format.

A strong resume incorporates a combination of hard and soft skills relevant to the job throughout the various sections of your resume. Hard skills, or technical skills, are the measurable skills you've acquired through training, certifications, and education. Soft skills, or personal skills, are intangible skills that are often improved upon over time, like time management, communication, leadership, problem-solving, and critical thinking. 

In many instances, you'll incorporate your key hard skills in the competencies list near the top of the resume, as shown in the example. You'll notice virtually all of the competencies listed in the sample are hard skills. Soft skills, on the other hand, are typically shown through your achievements and accomplishments. Let's take a look at Jake's achievement highlighted in tip #6 of the executive resume example:

Oversaw the merger of three existing benefits plans into one corporate flexible benefit plan, resulting in $822,000 annual savings while enhancing benefits to all employees.

This achievement showcases the candidate's leadership, critical thinking, communication, and organizational soft skills, to name a few, since these skills would be necessary to support this type of achievement. There are also the types of soft skills that would be expected on an executive resume. 

Finally, make sure you're choosing skills that directly correlate with the position you're applying for. Take a look at the job description, if you have it, and customize your resume accordingly. If done right, this should complement your executive summary, or career summary , which Jake includes near the top of this example resume, as well.

Need help with writing your executive summary? Our resume experts can help with that, too!

4. Include a Selected Achievements section at the top of your executive resume

If you're a senior-level professional, you likely have a list of accomplishments to choose from. But this doesn't mean you should list everything you've ever done! In Jake's executive resume, for example, he chose accolades and achievements that highlight the specific results and impact he made. His “Selected Achievements” section, sometimes called “Career Highlights,” allows for quick skimming to understand his performance highlights. While a section like this isn't mandatory, it's a great way to show recruiters or hiring managers what you're most proud of.

5. Focus on your most recent work experience

Most resumes will benefit from a chronological format, as it shows your career progression throughout the years. Notice how Jake's executive resume sample places the most focus on his current position as Vice President of Human Resources. 

Spend the most time here, with your current or most recent job, including details that will show the recruiter what your role entails and what type of company it is (big? small? non-profit?). This rule applies even if you haven't been at your current job for very long — the only exception is if your current job is unrelated to your career goals or executive summary.

6. Quantify your achievements

Actions speak louder than words … but on an executive resume, numbers can speak volumes. This is especially important as a senior-level professional, as you're probably handling things like budgets, department goals, or teams of people. Instead of leading with a vague statement, be specific, like Jake does in the resume sample above. Notice how he talks about the annual savings to the company driven by his leadership, as well as how many offices and staff members he's responsible for.  

7. Use a two-page resume length

If you're surprised by this tip, you're not alone. It's a common myth that resumes should be restricted to one page! Just don't get too lengthy. Two pages is a great rule-of-thumb for resume length that will allow you the space to showcase your work history and, more importantly, your accomplishments (quantified, of course).

Bump your earlier and entry-level jobs to the second page and include only the most important details. Furthermore, make sure the positions you're including are relevant. If you're applying for an executive-level healthcare position, like Jake is, recruiters won't care that your first job out of college was scooping ice cream at the mall.

Having trouble deciding what to keep? A two-page limitation will force you to decide which details are the most important and which details can be left out. Put yourself in the recruiter's shoes, and go line-by-line through your executive resume. Is everything relevant and compelling? Great! Still having trouble? This leads us to our next tip.

8. Include only your past 10-15 years of experience

At this point in your career, you've built up quite a history of companies, positions, and responsibilities. How will you fit it all in? Fortunately, you don't have to. Instead, restrict your resume to experience garnered in the last 10-15 years, give or take.  

If there are positions outside of this time frame that you feel are relevant, you can include those in a “Prior Experience” section — just forgo the lengthy details. Still running out of room? Feel free to indicate a “Career Note” toward the end and list out noteworthy titles or company names in a more condensed format.

9. Move your education to the end of the resume

As a recent college graduate, your degree is often one of your biggest selling points. A few years into your career , it may have been your relevant work experience. But now that you've worked your way up the ranks, it's time to shift the focus of your resume. 

You still want to include an education section on your resume, as most executive-level jobs at least require a bachelor's degree. However, at this stage in your career, move your education details to the end of the resume, with the exception of any advanced degrees that you might want to make note of early on in you resume due to their high-level of relevance to the job you're applying to (see tip #1).

10. Remove dates outside of the 15-year timeframe

For degrees, certifications, or other prior (but relevant) experience that fall outside of the 15-year timeframe, go ahead and remove the dates associated with them. The reason for this? They simply don't matter. If you feel like including relevant early work, like if it showcases the way your career has progressed, that's great! Flaunt that — not your age.

When in doubt, seek support

These tips and the executive resume example provided give you the tools necessary to craft your resume to land interviews. That said, as mentioned previously, getting a second set of eyes to review your resume can be beneficial, especially if you hold any doubt at all as to its quality. Getting expert input can also save you valuable time and frustration and prevent you from being one of the three out of the four resumes submitted that never get seen!  

So, are you ready to upgrade to that corner office? Ensure that your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile are polished and professional with our Executive Priority resume review package .

This blog was originally written by Amanda Augustine and has been updated by Ronda Suder.

Recommended reading:

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How to Check if My Resume Is ATS-Friendly for Free

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• • Devised a comprehensive compensation strategy aligning with business objectives, serving a workforce of over 350,000, thereby increasing market competitiveness by 20%.
• • Introduced a rewards program that improved retention rates by 15% within the first year while ensuring internal equity and compliance.
• • Led the redesign of the job architecture enabling more efficient talent movement, contributing to a 10% reduction in attrition.
• • Negotiated a multi-year partnership with market survey vendors that reduced costs by 25% while maintaining quality data for salary benchmarking.
• • Implemented a pay-for-performance culture, which was adopted company-wide, resulting in a 12% increase in overall team productivity.
• • Executed a company-wide salary structure adjustment, ensuring a living wage for all employees and positively impacting over 50,000 team members.
• • Developed and executed a global compensation plan that increased employee satisfaction scores by 18% across 30 countries.
• • Managed a team of 3 compensation analysts to deliver timely salary cycles and merit increases for over 200,000 employees.
• • Introduced a unified grading system that streamlined compensation processes, minimizing discrepancies and fostering team harmony.
• • Created a compensation communication strategy that enhanced employee understanding of total rewards, leading to a 10% increase in engagement.
• • Optimized compensation spending, saving the company $5 million annually through strategic salary band alignments and incentive structuring.
• • Spearheaded a market analysis project that redefined competitive pay levels for 500+ roles, impacting 40,000 employees.
• • Guided the transition to a new compensation software suite, enhancing data analytics capabilities by 30%.
• • Collaborated with HR leaders to revamp incentive programs, which boosted key talent retention by 8%.
• • Analyzed internal and external compensation trends, providing strategic recommendations that were implemented across the organization.

5 Senior Director Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Your senior director resume must showcase a robust track record of strategic leadership and measurable achievements. Highlight the complex projects you've spearheaded with successful outcomes. Include instances where you've displayed exceptional communication and team-building skills. Make sure to reveal your ability to innovate and drive organizational growth under your leadership.

All resume examples in this guide

Traditional

Resume Guide

Resume Format Tips

Resume Experience

Skills on Resume

Education & Certifications

Resume Summary Tips

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

As a senior director, you may struggle with condensing your extensive experience and diverse skill set into a concise resume without losing the essence of your accomplishments. Our guide provides specific strategies and examples to effectively distill your career highlights into an impactful narrative, ensuring your resume stands out to potential employers.

• The most straightforward and effective resume format, ensuring your senior director resume stands out among numerous candidate profiles;
• The significance of the top one-third of your resume, including the header, summary or objective, and skills section, and its impact on recruiters;
• Frameworks and structures used by real senior director professionals, offering insights on how to enhance your resume with industry-specific expertise;
• A variety of senior director resume sections that bolster your profile, showcasing your comprehensive capabilities and distinctiveness.

Gaining insights from the best has never been easier. Explore more senior director resume examples below:

• Associate Director Resume Example
• Functional Manager Resume Example
• Regional Director Resume Example
• Deputy Director Resume Example
• Assistant Branch Manager Resume Example
• Department Manager Resume Example
• Account Director Resume Example
• Executive Manager Resume Example
• Program Director Resume Example
• Team Manager Resume Example

Designing your senior director resume format to catch recruiters' eyes

Your senior director resume will be assessed on a couple of criteria, one of which is the actual presentation.

Is your resume legible and organized? Does it follow a smooth flow?

Or have you presented recruiters with a chaotic document that includes everything you've ever done in your career?

Unless specified otherwise, there are four best practices to help maintain your resume format consistency.

• The top one third of your senior director resume should definitely include a header, so that recruiters can easily contact you and scan your professional portfolio (or LinkedIn profile).
• Within the experience section, list your most recent (and relevant) role first, followed up with the rest of your career history in a reverse-chronological resume format .
• Always submit your resume as a PDF file to sustain its layout. There are some rare exceptions where companies may ask you to forward your resume in Word or another format.
• If you are applying for a more senior role and have over a decade of applicable work experience (that will impress recruiters), then your senior director resume can be two pages long. Otherwise, your resume shouldn't be longer than a single page.

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Showcase any ongoing or recent educational efforts to stay updated in your field.

Senior Director resume sections to answer recruiters' checklists:

• Header to help recruiters quickly allocate your contact details and have a glimpse over your most recent portfolio of work
• Summary or objective to provide an overview of your career highlights, dreams, and goals
• Experience to align with job requirements and showcase your measurable impact and accomplishments
• Skills section/-s to pinpoint your full breadth of expertise and talents as a candidate for the Senior Director role
• Education and certifications sections to potentially fill in any gaps in your experience and show your commitment to the industry

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Strategic Leadership & Vision: Evidence of the ability to develop and implement high-level strategies that drive company growth, innovation, and competitive advantage.
• Industry Expertise & Market Knowledge: Detailed understanding of the industry trends, regulatory landscape, and market conditions relevant to the senior director's field.
• Impactful Business Results: Concrete examples of past successes, such as revenue growth, cost savings, market share expansion, and improvements in operational efficiencies.
• Team Development & Management Skills: Proven experience in mentoring, managing, and building high-performing teams, including cross-functional or multinational groups.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Proficiency in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including executive teams, board members, customers, and external partners, with excellent communication capabilities.

Adding your relevant experience to your senior director resume

If you're looking for a way to show recruiters that your expertise is credible, look no further than the resume experience section.

Your senior director resume experience can be best curated in a structured, bulleted list detailing the particulars of your career:

• Always integrate metrics of success - what did you actually achieve in the role?
• Scan the senior director advert for your dream role in search of keywords in the job requirements - feature those all through your past/current experience;
• Dedicate a bullet (or two) to spotlight your technical capabilities and how you're able to use the particular software/technology in your day-to-day roles;
• Write simple by including your responsibility, a job advert keyword or skill, and a tangible outcome of your success;
• Use the experience section to also define the unique value of working with you in the form of soft skills, relevant feedback, and the company culture you best thrive in.

Industry leaders always ensure that their resume experience section offers an enticing glimpse at their expertise, while telling a career narrative. Explore these sample senior director resumes on how to best create your resume experience section.

• Streamlined operational processes, reducing overhead costs by 15% while maintaining workforce efficiency within the manufacturing sector.
• Negotiated multi-year contracts with suppliers that led to a 20% reduction in raw material costs for consumer electronics production lines.
• Implemented a continuous improvement program that contributed to a 35% increase in product output without compromising quality standards.
• Formulated and executed a sales strategy targeting enterprise accounts, resulting in an annual revenue growth of 25%.
• Launched a digital marketing campaign that increased online engagement by 40%, significantly enhancing brand recognition among B2B clients.
• Developed a successful partnership program with key industry influencers, resulting in a 10% increase in market share within the SaaS sector.
• Led a team of 50 engineers in the design and release of an award-winning mobile application, contributing to a user base growth of over 2 million in the first year.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to improve product time-to-market by 30%, effectively boosting competitiveness in the tech industry.
• Managed a budget of $10M for R&D, focusing on innovative features that led to a 50% increase in customer satisfaction ratings.
• Oversaw the development and implementation of a company-wide IT infrastructure upgrade, enhancing system reliability by 99.9% uptime.
• Drove a 75% increase in team productivity by introducing agile methodologies and continuous integration practices.
• Spearheaded a cybersecurity initiative that decreased incidence of security breaches by 90%, protecting critical company assets.
• Restructured the global HR operations to enhance employee engagement and reduce turnover rate by 20% across 12 countries.
• Implemented a data-driven recruitment strategy that filled senior leadership roles 50% faster with highly qualified candidates.
• Introduced a comprehensive wellness program that decreased health benefit claims by 15%, thereby saving the company $1M annually.
• Directed a customer service overhaul that improved client retention rates by 25% in the financial services sector.
• Implemented a cutting-edge CRM system that increased cross-selling opportunities, growing average customer value by 35%.
• Launched a training and development program that honed the skills of over 300 customer service employees, resulting in a 95% customer satisfaction score.
• Conceptualized a long-term growth strategy that diversified company offerings and penetrated 3 new markets in 18 months.
• Led a cross-division synergistic initiative that reduced time-to-market for new products by 25%, enhancing competitive edge.
• Orchestrated a successful merger, integrating workflow and personnel from a $500M acquired company smoothly and efficiently.
• Headed the R&D department in developing a patented technology that improved renewable energy efficiency by 20%, garnering acclaim in the energy sector.
• Managed multi-disciplinary project teams to deliver complex engineering solutions under budget, saving the company an average of $2M per project.
• Fostered a culture of innovation that led to the firm winning 'Industry Innovator of the Year' in 2013 for groundbreaking work in automation.

Quantifying impact on your resume

• Include the size of the budget you managed to demonstrate your financial oversight capabilities.
• List the percentage growth in revenue or profit your initiatives contributed to, showing your effectiveness in driving business success.
• Specify the number of team members you've led, including any increases in team size, to highlight your leadership and hiring acumen.
• Mention the number of projects or initiatives you've successfully completed, indicating your ability to deliver results.
• Quantify the efficiency improvements in processes or operations you've achieved, such as reduction in time or cost, demonstrating your operational expertise.
• Measure the impact of your strategic decisions, such as market share growth, to exhibit your strategic thinking skills.
• State the savings achieved through cost-cutting measures or renegotiations to emphasize your financial acumen and negotiation skills.
• Present the value of deals or contracts you secured, reflecting your aptitude for business development and sales.

Action verbs for your senior director resume

Making the most of your little to none professional experience

If you're hesitant to apply for your dream job due to limited professional experience , remember that recruiters also value the unique contributions you can offer.

Next time you doubt applying, consider this step-by-step approach for your resume's experience section:

• Rather than the standard reverse chronological order, opt for a functional-based format. This shifts the focus from your work history to your achievements and strengths;
• Include relevant internships, volunteer work, or other non-standard experiences in your senior director resume's experience section;
• Utilize your education, qualifications, and certifications to bridge gaps in your senior director resume experience;
• Emphasize your interpersonal skills and transferable skills from various industries. Often, recruiters seek a personality match, giving you an advantage over other candidates.

Recommended reads:

• How to Put Cum Laude on Your Resume
• How to List Continuing Education on Your Resume

Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.

Shining a light on your senior director hard skills and soft skills

To win recruiters over, you must really have a breadth of skill set presented and supported within your senior director resume.

On hiring managers' checklists, you'd initially discover hard or technical skills. Those are the technology (and software) that help you perform on the job. Hard skills are easy to quantify via your education, certificates, and on-the-job success.

Another main criterion recruiters are always assessing your senior director resume on is soft skills. That is your ability to communicate, adapt, and grow in new environments. Soft skills are a bit harder to measure, as they are gained both thanks to your personal and professional experience.

Showcase you have the ideal skill set for the role by:

• Dedicating both a skills box (for your technical capabilities) and an achievements or strengths section (to detail your personal skills).
• When listing your skills, be specific about your hard skills (name the precise technology you're able to use) and soft skills (aim to always demonstrate what the outcomes were).
• Avoid listing overused cliches in the skills section (e.g. Microsoft Office and Communication), unless they're otherwise specified as prominent for the role.
• Select up to ten skills which should be defined via various sections in your resume skills sidebar (e.g. a technical skills box, industry expertise box with sliders, strengths section with bullets).

Spice up your resume with leading technical and people skills, that'd help you get noticed by recruiters.

Top skills for your senior director resume:

Strategic Planning

Financial Management

Project Management

Business Development

Data Analysis

Marketing Strategies

Operational Excellence

Regulatory Compliance

Risk Management

Technology Integration

Communication

Problem Solving

Decision Making

Negotiation

Time Management

Adaptability

Team Building

Conflict Resolution

Emotional Intelligence

The basics of your senior director resume certifications and education sections

Improve the education and certification sections of your senior director resume by:

• Dedicating more prominent space to certificates that are more recent and have helped you update your skill set
• Keeping all the information you list to the basics: certificate/degree name, institution, and graduation dates
• Writing supplementary information in the details of your certification or education section, only if you lack experience or want to show further skill alignment
• Including your credential or license number, only if the information is valid to your application or certification

Within senior director job adverts, relevant education, and certification are always listed within the key prerequisite for the role.

Ensure you meet all job requirements with some of the leading certificates in the industry:

The top 5 certifications for your senior director resume:

• Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) - HR Certification Institute (HRCI)
• Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) - CFA Institute
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) - International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)²
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) - Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)

If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.

• Should You Include Eagle Scout On Your Resume?
• How to List Expected Graduation Date on Your Resume

Your senior director resume top one third: choosing between a resume summary or an objective

The top third of your resume is crucial, as recruiters might focus only on this section rather than reading the entire document. Therefore, it's important to carefully decide whether to include a resume summary or an objective.

• The resume summary encapsulates your most significant experiences, key achievements, and skills in the field. Ideal for candidates with substantial relevant experience, the summary previews what recruiters will find in the rest of your resume.
• The resume objective outlines your professional aspirations. It describes your career goals for the coming years and how you envision your role evolving in the prospective company. The resume objective is suitable if you have less professional experience and wish to emphasize various soft skills such as motivation, vision, and planning.

Explore some of the best examples of resume summaries and objectives from real-life professional resumes in the industry.

Resume summaries for a senior director job

• With over 15 years of strategic oversight in technology leadership, I've ushered in an era of digital transformation for a Fortune 500 company, leading to a 40% increase in operational efficiency. My expertise encompasses cloud computing, data analytics, and fostering cross-functional team agility.
• Accomplished finance professional with 20 years of experience directing multimillion-dollar portfolios. Instrumental in restructuring debt for a multinational corporation, achieving a 30% cost reduction. Expert in risk management, M&A transactions, and financial forecasting with a CPA certification.
• Transitioning from a 10-year tenure in healthcare management, my background equips me with a unique perspective on organizational efficiency. As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, I'm keen to apply continuous improvement methodologies to drive process optimization in technology leadership.
• Former military officer with over 12 years of disciplined leadership and operational planning seeking to leverage transferable skills in strategic direction. Recognized for commanding a battalion-size unit and delivering leadership training programs, aiming to advance strategic initiatives in a corporate setting.
• Seeking to apply a decade of dynamic university-level teaching experience and a Ph.D. in Computer Science to pivot into corporate leadership. Enthusiastic about utilising strong analytical skills and a passion for innovation to contribute to high-stakes project management and decision-making processes.
• As an ambitious professional with a deep-rooted passion for environmental advocacy, I am eager to transition my 8 years of nonprofit leadership experience into steering environmental sustainability programs. Committed to leveraging communication skills and a track record in community engagement to drive meaningful change.

More sections to ensure your senior director resume stands out

If you're looking for additional ways to ensure your senior director application gets noticed, then invest in supplementing your resume with extra sections, like:

• Publications;

These supplementary resume sections show your technical aptitude (with particular technologies and software) and your people skills (gained even outside of work).

Key takeaways

• Invest in a concise senior director professional presentation with key resume sections (e.g. header, experience, summary) and a simple layout;
• Ensure that the details you decide to include in your resume are always relevant to the job, as you have limited space;
• Back up your achievements with the hard and soft skills they've helped you build;
• Your experience could help you either pinpoint your professional growth or focus on your niche expertise in the industry;
• Curate the most sought-after certifications across the industry for credibility and to prove your involvement in the field.

Looking to build your own Senior Director resume?

• Resume Examples

How to Write a Professional Business Letter Template

How to reply to "what sets you apart from other candidates", how do you choose a professional email address for a resume, good resume characteristics: what to put on yours, describe your greatest challenge - interview question (+answers), do you indent paragraphs in a cover letter.

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Executive Resume Example for 2024 [Free Templates]

Being in charge of entire departments comes with a whole set of advantages - high impact, lots of responsibilities, interesting work, high pay, and so on.

Being an executive, though, does not mean you get to skip out on the job search process. You still need to create an executive resume and cover letter and apply for jobs.

And creating an executive resume comes with its own special types of hurdles. 

Most conventional resume-writing advice does not apply here, leaving you with a ton of questions:

• With so much work experience under your belt, how can you make your executive resume as impactful as possible?
• Do you limit yourself to one page (which is the industry standard), or can you go over it?
• How detailed does your work experience have to be, and do you include positions from a decade back?

In this article, we’re going to answer all these questions and more!

To help you write the executive resume, we’ll cover: 

• How Is an Executive Resume Different?

How to Write a Compelling Executive Resume in 9 Steps

• 17 Relevant Skills for Executives

Executive Resume Example

Before we dig into the steps you need to take to create a convincing executive resume, let’s cover an example, so you know what it looks like:

The executive resume example above does everything right, including: 

• Reverse-chronological resume format. The executive resume example above uses the reverse-chronological resume format to highlight this executive’s impressive work experience.
• Attention-grabbing resume summary. This executive resume example contains an impressive resume summary that emphasizes the candidate’s passions, strengths, and industry-related achievements. 
• Focus on work achievements. The executive resume example above highlights the candidate’s most noteworthy achievements , which helps them stand out from other candidates only listing their responsibilities. 
• Concise education section. This executive resume example doesn’t go into too much detail in the executive’s education section and instead simply lists the candidate’s most recent and relevant degrees. 
• Good use of bullet points. This executive resume example uses bullet points to structure and present information, making the resume well-structured and easy to read. 
• Well-structured skills section. Instead of listing all skills in one column, this executive resume example only includes the most relevant skills for the executive position and divides them into soft and hard skills.
• Certifications. The executive resume example above lists all of the candidate’s industry-related certifications. 
• Additional sections. This executive resume example includes the candidate’s proficiency in foreign languages and their memberships to help them stand out from other candidates with similar work experience and education. 

How Is an Executive Resume Different? 

Executive positions are nothing like normal jobs, so it only makes sense for an executive resume to be different from a normal resume too. 

But what exactly are those differences? Here are the most important ones you should know about: 

• Resume length . As an executive, you probably have much more work experience than your average candidate. As such, you don’t have to fit it all on one page; as a rule of thumb, the executive resume can be two pages, with a maximum of three.
• Data-focused achievements. The last thing recruiters want to see in an executive resume is a list of your responsibilities. If you want to stand out from your competitors, you have to show exactly how you improved the company, optimally by providing data and evidence. 
• Conventional format. If you’re applying for an executive position, it’s your resume content that should impress recruiters, not its format. Meaning, that although your executive resume should be well-organized, with ample white space, and with impeccable grammar and spelling, a simple, conventional, black-and-white design should be more than enough. As an executive, there’s no need to go overboard with fancy fonts and creative designs . 
• Tailored to the position. Most executives - and especially the senior ones - have a rich work history that could probably fill out more than three pages. That, however, would be counterproductive (both for you and the hiring manager). So, the key here is to tailor your work experience to the target position. Yes, you might have had amazingly valuable work experiences as a team lead from twenty years back, but unless they’re super relevant for the position you’re applying for, you might as well leave them out of your resume. As a rule of thumb, don’t go further back than your last 15 years of employment on your executive resume (some exceptions may apply). 
• Selected achievements. Yes, you’re an executive. But you’re also competing against other executives with plenty of achievements. To make your achievements stand out, add a Selected Achievements section right below your resume summary and list 3-4 accomplishments you’re especially proud of (and don’t forget to back them up with hard data). 

Now let’s go over each section of a successful executive resume, step by step: 

#1. Format Your Executive Resume Right

How your executive resume looks is just as important as what it contains. After all, before you impress recruiters with your achievements, you have to get them to read them. 

A messy, cluttered resume, however, might just have the opposite effect. 

This is where formatting comes in! 

The first thing to know is that the reverse chronological format is the most suitable for executives among the three most popular resume formats (the other two being the functional and combination formats) . 

That’s because it is both the most popular among recruiters and the most suitable for candidates with a lot of work experience. 

Here’s an example of the reverse-chronological resume format: 

Additionally, make sure that you follow these layout tips:

• Use clear headings to identify the sections in your resume (e.g. H2 or H3). Alternatively, use a bigger font size for your headers and bold them. 
• Choose the right font style and size to ensure your executive resume looks professional. For example, Overpass is a formal and classic font perfect for executives in conservative industries.
• Don’t forget to save your resume as a PDF file (unless specifically requested to deliver it in another format). PDFs remain the same no matter the device or Operating System used to view your resume and look much more professional than, say, MS Word files. 

Use an Executive Resume Template (& Save Time on Formatting)

Creating a compelling executive resume from scratch can take you hours, especially if you’re using outdated tools like Microsoft Word.

And as a busy executive, time is something you don’t have.

Want to create a well-designed, eye-catching resume within less than 5 minutes?

Use one of our resume templates ! 

You can choose among 8 free resume templates - executive resume template included and 8 Premium templates. 

With Nóvóresume’s free resume builder , you get to skip out on all the resume formatting hassle and focus on what matters - the resume contents.

#2. Add Your Contact Information

The contact information section on a resume is as straightforward as it gets, so you might as well get it out of the way first. 

That said, this section is as essential as it is straightforward, so make sure to double and triple-check that it contains no typos. 

After all, you don’t want a recruiter not to be able to contact you just because of a typo on your phone number.

Here’s what this section must include: 

• First and last name.
• Professional title.
• Updated phone number. 

Additionally, you can also include your LinkedIn profile ’s URL and a link to your personal portfolio or website, if you have one. 

The same goes for your personal website or portfolio, which can effectively give recruiters a more in-depth look at who you are and what your strengths are.

87% of recruiters check candidates’ LinkedIn profiles during the hiring process. So, we’d recommend optimizing your LinkedIn profile to reflect your executive profile and achievements! 

Here’s an example of an executive resume’s contact information section: 

Michelle Larkins Chief Financial Officer [email protected] 123-123-2233 Silicon Valley, California

#3. Write an Attention-Grabbing Resume Summary

The resume summary is among the first things recruiters notice and it serves as a short intro to your professional profile and, specifically, the highlights of your career. 

Typically, here’s what this 2 or 3-sentence long paragraph includes: 

• Your experience
• Your skills
• Your professional background
• Your accomplishments

Nailing your resume summary is a must if you want recruiters to dig deeper into your executive resume. Just remember to keep it short and sweet with some of your most noteworthy achievements and notable skills. 

Here’s an example of a great executive resume summary: 

• CMO with 7+ years of experience in developing and overseeing promotional marketing campaigns. Coming from a long career in public affairs and digital marketing strategies, I am now Executive Vice President at NewEast Inc. Winner of the 2021 Global Best of the Best Effie Award. 

#4. Add a Selected Achievements Section 

If you were to choose, you’d probably want recruiters to notice your career highlights right off the bat, instead of having to look for them. 

Well, as an executive, you can do just that by adding a Selected Achievements Section. 

Positioned between your resume summary and your work experience, a Selected Achievements section can give recruiters a quick preview of your most noteworthy achievements and get them to look deeper into your executive resume. 

As such, think about the highlights of your career - between two and five achievements you’re particularly proud of - and list them in bullets on your executive resume. 

Here is an example of an executive’s Selected Achievements section:

• Was the youngest person to be promoted to CFO in the company in 40 years. 
• Led company-wide initiatives that won me the Strategy Execution Award and the Young CFO of the Year Award.

#5. Focus Your Work Experience Section on Your Achievements

The work experience section is going to be the highlight of your executive resume.

This particular section is exactly where you show off years worth of experience and achievements. 

Here’s how you should do it: 

• Start with your current or most recent position and go backward from there. 
• For every work entry, list your professional title, company name, the dates you worked there, and 4-6 of your achievements in bullet points. 
• The further back you go in your work history, the fewer achievements you need to list. For jobs going 5+ years back, you can save resume space and just list 1-2 of your most notable accomplishments. 
• When listing your achievements, make sure to make them as quantifiable as possible. For example, instead of writing “improved company stock,” you can write “increased company stock by 15% within a one-year period.” 
• Give your work experience section an active voice by using action verbs such as “achieved,” “managed,” “increased,” “led,” “emphasized,” etc. 
• Tailor your work experience section to as many jobs as you’re applying for. So, if you’re applying for more than one position, use your diverse work experience to customize your resume based on the job you’re applying for, as opposed to submitting a one-fits-all executive resume. 

It’s actually pretty simple, right? Here’s a concrete example of an executive’s work experience section:

Chief Human Resources Officer XYZ Inc. 02/2018 - 06/2022

• Successfully led teams of +200 employees in 4 locations. 
• Updated the company’s talent acquisition strategy, leading to a 20% increase in the number of people hired in 2021.
• Improved company inclusion policies, which resulted in winning a Forbes diversity award. 
• Changed up the company’s hiring process, paying particular attention to positive discrimination policies, resulting in hitting company diversity quotas for the year.

Human Resources Manager

02/2013 - 12/2017 

• Improved company hiring rates by 47% by establishing a more inclusive hiring process. 
• Applied new interview questions to the hiring process, making the hiring process more effective by hiring employees that are more suitable to the company culture.

#6. Briefly Mention Your Education

Your education should come right after your work experience section. This section is just as important as your work experience, though it doesn’t require that you go into too much detail. 

After all, if you already hold an executive position, you probably already have a lot to show through your professional achievements. 

Here’s what you should include in your education section to make it stand out from the crowd:

• Begin with your most recent degree and include the institution’s name and location, as well as the years attended. 
• If you hold more than one Master’s or advanced degree, also include those in your education section.
• Leave your high school education out of your executive resume. 

Here’s what this looks like on an executive resume: 

Ph.D. in Marketing 

Haas School of Business - University of California, Berkeley

2012 - 2014

MSc in Innovation & Marketing Management

Strathclyde Business School - University of Strathclyde, Glasgow 

2011 - 2012

#7. Include Your Executive Skills

It probably comes as no surprise that executive positions are highly competitive. 

This means that you need to make sure that, in addition to your work experience and education sections, other sections also need to stand out, including your skills, certifications, interests, and awards. 

In light of this, here’s the best way to list your skills on your executive resume: 

• List your soft skills and hard skills. Include both CEO skills (e.g. leadership) and management skills, as well as industry-related skills here (e.g. if you’re into finance, that would include all your finance-related skills). 
• Pay close attention to the job description of the position you’re applying for. Do any of the keywords indicate what skills are required for the position?
• Make sure to include the skills mentioned in the job description on the skills listed on your executive resume (as long as you actually have them). 

17 Relevant Skills for Executives 

Here’s a list of relevant skills for executives that you can use on your executive resume:

• Senior Leadership Skills
• C-Suite Communication & Presentation Skills
• Change Management
• Emotional Intelligence
• Strategic Thinking
• Decision Making
• Employee Development
• Adversity Management
• Collaboration
• Active Listening
• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Conflict Management
• Negotiation
• Project Management

#8. Add Optional Resume Sections

The difference between great and perfect lies in the details - such as taking advantage of some optional sections that can take your executive resume to the next level. 

Specifically, the following sections can help you stand out from other executives applying for the same position by highlighting your individuality and the diversity a truly great executive needs:

• Awards , especially anything job-related. 
• Memberships , for example, Member of the Chicago CEO Club.
• Foreign languages , particularly those you’re fluent in.
• Certifications , such as Project Management Professional (PMP) or Accredited Business Communicator (ABC). 
• Personal achievements , including successful personal initiatives and noteworthy recognitions outside your industry. 
• Hobbies and interests , anything from fitness to reading books. 

#9. Don’t Underestimate the Power of the Cover Letter

Attaching a cover letter to your application is just as essential as creating a powerful executive resume. 

Specifically, a cover letter is important because:

• Recruiters expect a serious job application also to include a cover letter, even if they skip reading it. 
• It lets you go into more detail about your skills and qualifications. 

Here’s how to write a cover letter that is on par with your executive resume: 

• Start your cover letter with an impactful introduction. 
• Use the body of your cover letter to offer a more in-depth explanation of your executive skills and managerial experience. 
• To enhance your executive resume, include skills and achievements that support what you’ve stated there. 
• End your cover letter with a call to action. 

To give you a more concrete picture of what we mean, here’s what the structure of a cover letter should look like: 

Want to learn more about cover letter writing? Then check out our guides on cover letter tips and common cover letter mistakes !

Key Takeaways 

And that’s a wrap! 

By now, you should be ready to nail your executive resume! Before you go, here are the most important points we covered in this article: 

• Your executive resume must include your contact details, a resume summary, a work experience section with your most notable achievements, your education background, and a skills section. 
• Additionally, your executive resume can contain some extra sections, such as certifications, awards, memberships, etc.  
• Choose the chronological resume format to build your executive resume. 
• List relevant quantifiable achievements under each entry in your work experience section. 
• Use a ready-made template to save time and effort when you’re writing your executive resume!  

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